Beza Getachew

Beza Getachew, also known as Bezawit Getachew, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University.1 She joined Rice University in July 2020.1 Here are some key details about her:

Education and Background

Dr. Getachew completed her education at Yale University, earning:

• Ph.D. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (2018)
• M.S. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (2015)
• B.S. in Chemical Engineering (2012)1

She was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before coming to the United States for her undergraduate studies.2

Research Focus

Dr. Getachew's research primarily focuses on:

1. Understanding the performance of "smart materials" in water treatment technologies and systems1
2. Evaluating smart materials in environmentally relevant conditions
3. Integrating smart materials into water treatment technologies
4. Designing new materials and composite structures for novel functionalities in water treatment1

Her work involves developing advanced materials for water filtration, including:

• Self-healing water filtration membranes
• Electrically conductive water filtration membranes1

Professional Experience

Before joining Rice University, Dr. Getachew was:

• A postdoctoral associate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT1
• Focused on fabricating electrically conductive water filtration membranes during her postdoctoral work1

Current Role

At Rice University, Dr. Getachew:

• Leads the Getachew Research Group
• Mentors graduate and undergraduate students
• Conducts research on water treatment technologies, smart materials, and environmental engineering23

Dr. Getachew is actively involved in research projects related to improving water treatment methods, developing selective membranes for lithium mining, and creating self-cleaning electroactive membranes.3